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“Oooh, this is good,” Quinn said, and I raised an eyebrow at him. “Tell me more about you and the studly sheriff getting physical and how you’re feelingmore.”
I paused, the words feeling as heavy as they were real. The silence stretched out, but I knew Quinn was giving me space to gather my thoughts. Neil had gotten under my skin big time, and how I was going to navigate that, I wasn’t sure yet. But acknowledging it to someone—anyone—was a start.
“It’s unnerving,” I confessed, running a hand through my hair. “Because it’s not just about the sex, you know? It feels like there’s something more, something more than fighting and fucking. Something deeper.” Now what? “And that’s all I can say.”
Quinn seemed disappointed I’d stopped, but then he brightened. “I get it. Relationships can be complex, especially when they start touching parts of you that you didn’t expect.” He waggled his eyebrows.
I sighed with added drama. “Idiot.”
The admission made it real, making my feelings for Neil something I couldn’t ignore or brush off as a fling. It wasmore, and admitting it out loud meant I had to confront the implications of what thatmorecould mean for my future.
“Oh boy, you have it bad,” he murmured. “You’re all loved up.”
“Sexed up,” I amended.
He smirked. “I said what I said.”
“You’re an asshole.”
“Are there wedding bells in the future? Will you be Mr. Sheriff?”
I picked up a fancy cushion from the spare office chair and threw it at him. My aim was deadly, and he got a face full of fake fur. “I’m done here,” I grumbled.
He laughed. “Well, if I can’t hear all about your love life, do you want to see my new coffee machine?”
Anything to stop the embarrassment, yes. “Lead the way.”
We ended up in the front room with the views down the mountain, in overstuffed sofas, sipping coffee from mugs that were probably worth more than most people’s rent. The smell of fresh coffee filled the room, warm and rich, as we chatted about everything and nothing. Quinn wasn’t only my boss; he was my friend, and moments like these reminded me of that. The heavy stuff could wait. For now, it was the two of us enjoying a rare quiet moment, and I wasn’t going to talk anymore about how I was in and out of the sheriff’s bed.
But I’d wanted to. God, I’d been bursting with the need to tell my best friend about how I was catching feelings, how Neil was a god in bed, and how much I wanted him.
What stopped me?
Maybe the fact I’d have to own up to how I was feeling and that somehow this wasn’t something to brag about but was real.
Too real.
As we talked about the countdown to Christmas—which freaked me out, given it was only September—the sound of light padding on the hardwood floor caught my attention. Sky, Levi’s blue merle collie, trotted in and, without missing a beat, jumped onto the sofa, turning three times before settling down with his head nestled in Quinn’s lap.
I couldn’t help but chuckle. “Does Levi know he’s up on the sofa?”
Quinn shot me a conspiratorial grin. “No, and what Levi doesn’t know won’t hurt him.”
“Hurt who?” Levi said from the doorway.
I turned to see him walking in, his cowboy hat askew, dust on his boots, and that easy, natural grace from a lifetime spent working with horses. He had the classic cowboy look down to a T—worn jeans, a faded flannel shirt, and a broad leather belt. He walked over to the sofa, leaning down to give Quinn an upside-down kiss as he ruffled Sky’s fur.
“Jesus, Quinn, you’re spoiling that dog,” Levi said with a mock scolding tone, though the affection in his voice was apparent.
Quinn laughed, a sound that was light and carefree. “Says the man who lets Sky sleep in our bed whenever I’m not home,” he shot back.
Levi straightened up, feigning innocence. “Hey, the bed’s big enough for all three of us.”
“Next thing I know, you’ll invite Blake in too?”
Blake was Levi’s horse, and I couldn’t imagine Blake getting through the doorway, let alone climbing on a bed.
Sky let out a contented sigh, his tail thumping on the sofa as he snuggled closer to Quinn. I watched as Levi sat beside him, one hand resting on Quinn’s knee, the other scratching Sky behind the ears.
